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Facing death certainly can cause us to look at life differently. We ARE naked, until we pack on the burdens of external expectations, pride, fear of embarrassment of failure, etc. When we take off the protective masks, we realize they were only protecting us from knowing ourselves and what is important:>)

Jul 21 2011:
Be in the race, but with yourself only. Consider the world as a 5D movie, where everything may vanish in the blink of eye, compare yourself with yourself only on the basis of the every last day spent, and keep a daily check. everybody has to fight with himself and every fight is unique in a sense. Advices are based upon experiences, may or may not be applicable to every unique individual in the same way. Though most important thing, Do no harm to others.

May 31 2011:
To answer the question, the best advice I have had in my life is, "Life is more of marathon than you think..." And in my mid-40s, I can only agree!
To digress a little, I make no comment on the quality of advice, but broadly, this is what I have written for my teenage children:
1. Never do nothing
2. Sneaky is best - there are many ways to skin a cat
3. Choose your battles - can't win don't try
S. Never lie - not because bad, but because you'll always get caught
6. Believe in karma. Do good, and good stuff will happen to you. Do bad stuff, and bad stuff will happen to you
7. Work hard, and enjoy it, and make it lucrative. Whether studying or working for a living, you're going to have to do it...so enjoy it, and made it most lucrative and rewarding as you can in all ways
8. Respect other people, but always put yourself first. Have the most time for your own opniion; try to accommodate others in your plans but give 51% of your love to yourself
9. Never panic - anything is fixable, it's never as bad as you think, but, also, don't do nothing, act to fix things not let problem fester and get worse..harder to recover a crashing plane than one just wobbling a bit!
10. Make a difference. Okay, maybe not to the World, but to the people around you. Do small things, be charitable, be conscious of people less well off than you. Try to make a small positive difference every day, even if just carrying bag for old lady
11. Love. Don't be afraid to give love, or be loved, and tell people you love them
12. Order some starters when you first arrive in a restaurant
13. Go into the World with curipousity, be amazed by simple things - leaves, snowflakes. Be curious about how the world works
14. Never look back with regret or nostalgia, never stay still in stasis. Do try to have a a different year each year, ie: when you're 50, have 30 years of experience not 30 years of one year repeated.
15. Do what you want to do
16. Live the life you have imagined. Go forward to fulfil your dreams

Jul 10 2011:
I've heard many advises but the one that stuck with the most was the one my French teacher told us. She told us to "Don't take it personally" when someone insults you or talks down to you because you're different. She was one of the most eccentric persons I've ever met and simply a great person

Jun 3 2011:
I read this and came to mind an advice from my mom -
There is always just one truth, whereas there can be many lies. If you go on the path of lies, you sure at some point, will get confused, confounded and left astray to where to go next.
Although I learned later that there are many ways to master the art of lying and coming clean out of it. :P

Jul 8 2011:
-Responsibility means Response Ability, you're able to respond to anything however you want, responsibility is a burden.. and a privilege.
-There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.
Just these were enough to open my eyes.

Jul 15 2011:
“A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn’t see the clouds at all – he’s walking on them.” ~Leonard Louis Levinson

Jul 9 2011:
A piece of simple advise I am operating from lately is this concept: People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Thus, I am seeking to take genuine interest in others and demonstrate caring which will hopefully allow me to mentor more people. I now believe that I need to know and care about all people that I hope to lead/mentor. Others must be confident that I have their best interests at heart.

May 28 2011:
In my world you do not earn respect. That is something thatis due every man/woman/child because of the very fact that they are human. You cannot diss someone without dissing yourself. The advice about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions is wonderful and on target. I know some people who do not do that and they have a very hard time in life. (:>)

Jun 28 2011:
The great Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl once said: "Everything is possible, until the opposite is proven".
Seeing a thousand white swans does not refute the existence of black swans...

Jun 1 2011:
Well, I interpret it as "Don't be greedy or pushy but recognize that you are entitled to your share of (insert object or state that you desire)"...maybe it's best understood as a variant of the Golden Rule; "Don't diminish others' opportunities and don't let others diminish yours"

May 29 2011:
"Don't wait for the right moment to come in the distant future when you finally can unleash your full potential and become what you allways have wanted to be. Take action now, make misstakes and learn from them!",

in combination with

"Compassion and Altruism Lead to Happiness".

Actually, the person who gave me the first advice were also the one who told me about TED. And nowhere have I so rapidly absorbed useful "advices" as here. So he turned out to be invaluable.

May 28 2011:
I recieved a lot of good advice from many different sources throughout my life. One thing that stands out in my mind and heart, and created a HUGE learning curve, is a book that was given to me by a very dear friend who was an insightful human being and just happened to be a psychologist:>) I say "was" because she died of ovarian cancer several years ago. She gave me a book called "Pulling Your Own Strings", by Wayne Dyer. It offers..." a technique for dealing with other people and living life as you choose". At a time in my life when I was depleting my energy in an attempt to help others feel more comfortable, the ideas presented in this book were appreciated:">)

May 28 2011:
Take responsibility for your own actions and inaction, not until then can you expect anyone to truly respect you!
[one of the most valuable lessons in my life, taught to me by my lovely host mother during my year in Bari, Italy at the age of 17]

May 29 2011:
Wow!
I would advise my own kids to have faith in themselves but to trust wisely. Trusting no one leads to a lonely and isolated life, in my opinion. Trusting is a glorious freedom in a relationship. Sure you can get hurt but you also see so much more of the other's good side.